Internationales Asienforum, Vol. 22 (1991), No. 1-2, p. 131-145

Daoism in A Case Study

Law Y u Fai

1. Introduction

Daoism in Hong Kong may be roughly divided into three groups. Firstly, there are the professional Daoists who belong to the school of Zheng Yi. These Daoists are called naam moh lo in Hong Kong (or nan wu lao in Man ­ darin). They perform rituals for money in big festivals such as jiao, or funerals. They may belong to a group or tang or they may work as individuals. Their group or tang is called naam moh gun (nan wu guan) in Hong Kong. They learn this profession from members of their family or from a master (shi fu). They are a non-monastic, non-celibate group of specialists who eat ordinary food outside of ritual performances and live like any other ordinary citizen. 1 Secondly, there are the regional or communal Daoist temples which may be owned and controlled by organizations of allied villages. John A. Brim calls them village alliance temples. 12 There may also be temples orginally be ­ longing to a community but which are now controlled by the government. Temples such as the Wen Wu Temple in Hollywood Road or the Tian Hou Temple in Causeway Bay are examples of the latter. Th irdly, there are private temples that are owned by groups. Most of these temples are members of the Hong Kong Daoist Association. They are charitable organizations. They promote their religion and they accept fol­ lowers. Most of these temples practise fu ji, a special way of communicating with spirits or gods by using a sand tray and a wooden pen. To be a follower one has to go through certain rituals. This article studies the third group of Daoists, giving an account of how and when they moved to Hong Kong from , what they have done in Hong Kong and what changes they have experienced.

1 John Richard Gresham Mathias, "A Study of the Jiao, a Taoist Ritual, in Kam Tin, in the Hong Kong New Territories." PhD thesis, Oxford University, p. 75. 2 John A. Brim, "Village Alliance Temples in Hong Kong", in: Arthur, P. Wolf, Religion and Ritual in Chinese Society, Stanford 1974, pp. 94-103. 132 Law Yu Fai

2. Master Zeng ’s temple

Master Zeng was born in Jiu Jiang, Namhai, Province. As a child, he had polio and was paralyzed and could not walk at all. One day he was possessed by Lu Dong-bin, one of the Eight Immortals (pa xian). Lu Dong- bin spoke to Zeng ’s parents through the child, telling them that the child ’s fate was interwined with the god Lu Dong-bin. He could cure the child, but the child must dedicate his life and work for Lu Dong-bin to propagate the doctrines of Dao. When the parents agreed, the child was cured and could walk again. After this incident, people knew Zeng had the ability to commu­ nicate with the spirits. They asked him to be the medium in a Daoist shrine called Qun Ymg Tang. Zeng went to school while working as a medium. When he grew older, he worked as a ji shou, one who controls the wooden pen in fu ji. To be a;7 shou one has to know how to read and write. Zeng also learnt how to draw charms (fu) and tried to heal diseases with charms. One day Lu Dong-bin instructed him through the means of fu ji, to go to Ying Yuan Gong Temple in (Canton). Zeng was told to look for the abbot Ye Jing-shan and study under him. Ying Yuan Gong Temple was affiliated to Chong Xu Guan in Luo Fu Shan, one of the major Daoist mountains in Guangdong Province. Chong Xu Guan belonged to the Daoist sect of Quan Zhen. So Zeng became a disciple in Ying Yuan Gong Temple in Guanzhou and was the 25th generation of the lodge of character cheng. After studying in Ying Yuan Gong Temple, Zeng went back to his home town and organized Daoist schools. During World War II he came to Hong Kong. He formed a Daoist group called Qun Xiu Tan in Kowloon. When Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese, he went back to Jiu Jiang. In 1950/51 Zeng came to Hong Kong again. He rented a room in Shek Kip Mei. After only a short time he was kicked out by the land-lady who was a Roman Catholic and could not stand Zeng having a Daoist altar in her house. Through the help of a friend, Zeng was introduced to a man named Luo who was living in the same area. Luo was a graduate from Zhong Shan University and was living with his wife and children in a small flat. He told Zeng that if he did not mind, he could sleep in his apartment in the corridor on a camp bed. He allowed Zeng to put the altar for Lu Dong-bin on the table above the earth god (tu di). And so Zeng lived in Luo ’s place and they became good friends. It was after World War II and after the Revolution in China. Luo was at a critical turning-point in his life. He thought that Daoism promoted the goodness of human beings and he became interested in joining Zeng to form a Daoist group. One day, through the wooden pen and the sand tray, Lu Dong-bin told the two that Zeng was the root of Dao and Luo was Daoism in Hong Kong 133 the seal of Dao. Luo was given a Daoist name, Yun Liang Zi. Luo and Zeng rented a small flat in Kowloon and set up an altar which was registered as a private temple. In about 1954/55, Luo had a stroke of good luck. His wife had a dream one night. She dreamed she had won the lottery. When she woke up she still remembered the number of the lottery ticket, namely 1234567. She asked Luo to buy one with that number. Luo told her that it must be a joke, as no one could fmd such a ticket in a city like Hong Kong. His wife told him that per ­ haps he could just buy a lottery ticket with a number starting with one and ending with seven. But one day Luo did find such a lottery ticket when he was having coffee in . He bought it and won ten thousand and eight dollars. With his winnings he decided to buy an apartment for the temple. He and Zeng asked their god Lu Dong-bin where it should be lo­ cated. From the sand tray and wooden pen they were instructed to buy an apartment at 929 Canton Road, Kowloon. When they went to that address, the former building had been torn down and a new building was under con ­ struction. They bought an apartment in the new building and registered it as a temple, Wan De Zhi Shan She. It was a charitable organization and limited company. In 1955, they bought another apartment and after some years they had four apartments in the same building. Master Zeng went to San Francisco in 1965. He set up a Daoist and Buddhist society in San Francisco with some of his followers. The society was called Guangming Fo Dao She. In 1967 Zeng returned to Hong Kong. He went to San Francisco again in 1977 and set up another society, Zhi Shan Fo Dao She. He died in San Francisco in 1982. He had contributed his whole life to his god Lu Dong-bin. He was never married and had no children. In the 1970 ’s, Zeng ’s temple in Hong Kong was extended. They bought another six apartments on a nearby street. In 1979 they bought another apartment in Tai Po, New Territories, and started a branch (fen tan) temple. In 1976/77 they bought a large piece of land in the countryside near Tai Po. They built a house there. The plan was to open a temple with a vegetarian restaurant and a big garden to attract tourists from the urban area. Unfortun ­ ately, their land was situated in an area designated for catching water for a reservoir and the restaurant was not allowed due to water pollution control. The place was used as a resort for members of the temple. 134 Law Yu Fai

3. Daoist Temples in Hong Kong

There are more than three hundred registered Chinese temples in Hong Kong. Some of these temples are private temples administered by a religious group or by a regional community. Some are managed by the government by employed temple watchers. There are more than sixty temples registered as members of the Hong Kong Daoist Association. Nearly all of these temples are registered as private temples. The most popular temples in Hong Kong are Tian Hou Temples. Tian Hou is the goddess of fishermen. There are more than fifty Tian Hou Temples in Hong Kong. The other popular temples are Hong Sheng Temples, Guan Yin Temples, and Bei Di Temples. Most of these temples are managed by the Rural Community Committee and temple watchers. These temples are used mainly for celebrating the birthdays of the gods, on which occasion the villages are present. At other times the temple is open for every­ body to give offerings to the gods. At the beginning of the lunar year, people come to make their wishes and at the end of it they come to thank the gods for their protection during the year. Some villagers still keep the tradition of giving offers to the gods on the first and the fifteenth day of the lunar month. Many of these community temples are very old. For example, the Tian Hou Temple in Stanley is said to be over 180 years old. The Wen Wu Temple in Hollywood Road is reputed to be over 100 years old and the Che Gong Temple in Shatin over 120 years old. 3 Unlike the community temples, private Daoist temples, often called dao tang, were set up much later. The earliest dao tangs were moved to Hong Kong from China during the 1920 ’s and 1930 ’s. For example, the very well known temple of Huang Da Xian (known as Wong Tai Sin in Hong Kong) was moved to Hong Kong from Guangzhou in 1921. The Xing Gong Cao Tang in Tai Po and the Feng Ying Xian Guan in Fanling were built before World War II. A non- Daoist group, the Xian Tian Dao (also known as Yi Guan Dao in ) was established in Hong Kong in the 1920 ’s The Long Qing Tang was established in Hong Kong in 1916, and the Fu Qing Tang in 1924. The Xian Tian Dao integrate Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. It is also known in Hong Kong as Ya Dan Jio (duck egg religion). Most of the private Daoist dao tangs have their origins in Guangdong Pro­ vince. The majority of them were set up in Hong Kong after 1949 when many refugees came from China. Some were moved to Hong Kong earlier. For example, Huang Da Xian Ci was related to the Huang Da Xian Ci in Huang * II,

3 V.R. Burkhardt, Chinese Creeds and Customs , SCM Post H.K. 8th Impression 1972, Vol. II, Appendix 3. Daoism in Hong Kong 135

Sha, Guangzhou. The organization running this temple, the She She Yuan, was set up in 1921, when a temple was built in Wong Tai Sin in Kowloon. The present temple was re-built in 1973. Qing Song Xian Guan was related to Zhi Bao Tao in En Ling Road, Guangzhou. It was set up in Hong Kong in 1949. Yun Quan Xian Guan was affiliated to a temple in Xi Qiao Shan, Guangdong Province. It was set up in Hong Kong in 1944. Most of the major dao tangs belong to the Daoist school of Quan Zhen. Lu Dong-bin is the most popular god. Other dao tangs also worship Qiu Zhang Chun, Lao Zi (also known as Tai Shang Lao Jun), and even Guan Yin. Besides the Quan Zhen Daoist, there are also other groups which may be identified as new religions 4. The major ones are:

1. The Red Swastika Society (Hong Wan Zi Hui): This was introduced to Hong Kong by Jiang Fa Xian who was a civil servant in the Health De­ partment. V.R. Burkhardt gives a detailed description in his Chinese Creeds and Customs.

"The Red Swastika Society performs many of the functions of the Red Cross in China. It was founded in 1917 in the province of Shantung by an Army Colonel Liu Shao-chi and the District Magistrate Wu Fu-sun. Gathering together a few interested friends they formulated a new religion embodying the best elements of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. The doctrine of life beyond the grave strongly appealed to them, and they sought communication with departed spirits by means of the sand and tray and wooden pen." 5

2. Tian De Sheng Jiao: This religion or sect was started by Xiao Chang- ming, a monk who later resumed secular life. He started preaching in Huang Shan in about 1937. 6 He also integrated the best elements of Con ­ fucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. In Hong Kong there are about eight dao tangs. They practice^ ji and kan guang (literally, looking at the light). This is a kind of communication with spirits or gods by looking at a piece of white cloth on the wall, similar to watching a slide show.

4 Lin Wan-chuan identifies religions that belong to the Xian Tian Dao system as new relig­ ions. Burkhardt also identifies the Red Swastika Society as a new religion. 5 Burkhardt, 1972, Vol. Ill, p. 145. 6 Tian De Sheng Jiao, zong jiao zhe xue yan jiu she gai yao, (An Introduction to the Society of Religion and Philosophy Studies), Liu De Fo Tang, 1968. 136 Law Yu Fai

3. Tian Qi Dao: This sect was started by Lu Jia-bing in 1935 in Guangzhou. 7 Lu was a graduate from Lingnam University (Guangzhou) and was working as a school headmaster. One day in 1935 he was suddenly inspired and was endowed with the power of healing by qi gong. He became very popular and lots of people came to him for healing. He came to Hong Kong during the war and lived in the New Territories. He practised healing also when he first came to Hong Kong but it was said that he was not as good as when he was in Guangzhou. The Tian Qi Dao sect worship the god called Zhi Da Zhi Zun (the highest and the most respectable). They also practise fu ji. 4. Xian Tian Dao: This sect was active in China during the Qing dynasty. Lin Wan-chuan, who studied this religion, said that it was started by Huang De Hui at the beginning of the Qing dynasty. 8 It was introduced to Hong Kong as early as 1916 by the founding of Long Qing Tang. Even two years earlier in 1913, Zhi Lan Tang, a Xian Tian Dao women ’s group, was founded in Kowloon. Most of the Xian Tian Dao temples were set up in 1920 ’s and 1930 ’s, and many of these small groups were for women, probably for Amahs. 9 Xian Tian Dao integrates Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. In many of the women ’s lodges which are often known as Zhai Tang (vegetarian hall), they only worship Guan Yin. Xian Tian Dao also practise fu ji.

4. "Fu Ji"

Fu ji is a way of communicating with departed spirits. Burkhardt describes it as planchette. He writes,

"The medium is by no means the only way of communicating with departed spirits, as divination has been practised for centuries by means of the Fu Chi, or planchette, which is placed before the shrine of a god, and provides the answers to questions put to the oracle. The apparatus consists of a sand board and wooden pen. The board is a tray, twenty-six inches square and two and a quarter high. A wooden pen, nine inches long, straight at the top and slightly curved at the end, is fastened to a rod three feet long. It is manipulated by two persons, one holding the rod in his left, and the other

7 Hong Kong Daoist Association, xian gang dao jiao lian he hui xin xia luo cheng te kan, (Special Issue on the Inauguration of the New Building for the Hong Kong Daoist Association), 1975, p. 60. 8 Lin Wan-chuan, xian tian da dao xi ton yan jiu (The Study of the System of Xian Tian Da Dao), Taiwan, 1984. 9 Amahs are house maids who usually do not marry. Daoism in Hong Kong 137

in his right hand. When the spirit responds, pressure is felt on the rod, which impels the pen to trace Chinese characters in the sand. A third per ­ son calls out the character, and a fourth transcribes. This method has the disadvantage of getting into communication with any disengaged spirit, and is far less personal than the clairvoyant, who professes ability to put the call through like a telephone exchange."

The wooden pen can be of different shapes, and it can be controlled by one person instead of two. The Chaozhou people use a bamboo basket called shaoji. In the middle of the shaoji, they put the wooden pen which is usually made of peach wood. In Singapore, lots of Dao Tangs use a fork of the peach tree to which they fasten a brush at the pointed end, for writing. They do not use a sand tray, instead, paper and red ink is used for writing.

A fu ji instrument: A fork of the peach tree to which a brush is fastened.

A dao tang that practises fu ji can be called ji tan (the ji altar). It was said that Guan Di or Guan Gong controls the Ji Tans all over the world and Guan Yin and Lu Dong-bin assist him. Very detailed instructions can be obtained 10

10 Burkhardt, 1972, Vol. I. p. 110. 138 Law Yu Fai from/w ji. Looking for a site dao tang is an example. As far as I know, besides Master Zeng ’s dao tang, the Yuan Xuan Xue Yuan in Tsuen Wan also got the present site through fu ji. The management of the dao tang, the accounts, and the resolving of personnel problems are very often instructed by fu ji. Besides the detailed daily problems, certain ji tan publish books. Lu Zu Quan Ji (the collected works of Lu Dong-bin) was partly written by Lu Dong-bin himself through fu ji. Yi Dao Huan Yuan (a medical book) was also written by fu ji. Some ji tan even write novels from fu ji. The Sheng Te Magazine Association in Taichung, Taiwan, for example has published a number of novels which are written through fu ji.n

5. "ru dao ” (to enter Dao)

Most of the private dao tangs in Hong Kong are registered as non-profit charitable organizations and are managed in the form of limited companies. There is always a board of directors. Besides the board of directors, there is also a core group of members who are supposed to be people who have en ­ tered Dao - or disciplines of the main god of the dao tang. This in-group is distinguished from people who come to make an offering to the gods. The ordinary people are called as shan xin (believers). Each dao tang has its own membership rituals. In most of them the gods have to be informed and instructions and approvals received from the gods through/« ji. When a member or disciple is approved, there is a ritual oizan guan li (putting on a hat), and sometimes a Dao name (dao hao) is given to a disciple. There are few dao shi or Daoist monks. Most of them are laymen who have families and professions. In the 1950 ’s and 1960 ’s most of those who had entered Dao were business people. Later there were people from other professions. Most of the Xian Tian Dao followers have to be vegetarians. Most other Daoists are not allowed to eat beef and dog meat.

6. The Hong Kong Daoist Association

The Hong Kong Daoist Association was formed in 1961. In 1967 it was re­ gistered as a limited company. In 1975 the association ’s office in Tai Nam Street, Kowloon, was inaugurated. At present there are sixty-one members. 11

11 The Sheng Te Magazine Association is affiliated to a Dao Tang called Sheng De Bao Gong in Taichung, Taiwan. Daoism in Hong Kong 139

The association runs three secondary schools, five primary schools and one kindergarten.

7. Financial Sources

The main source of income for most of the dao tangs comes from private donations. The biggest event is the auction of lanterns after the Chinese New Year. The lanterns bring wealth, children, health, or happiness to the family throughout the year. People will pay several thousand dollars for one lantern. Master Zeng ’s dao tang raises more than three hundred thousand dollars at each year’s auction. The second largest source of income is perhaps from the charge for placing ancestral tablets on the altar. In some bigger dao tangs in the New Territories there are also places to put the ashes of the dead. On every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, there are services in the dao tangs so that the spirits of the dead are well taken care of. Donations in the form of xiang you qian (money for incense and oil for lantern) are received throughout the year from people who come to worship the gods in the dao tangs.

8. Social Activities a) Medical

Besides religious activities, many of the Daoist groups in Hong Kong are also active in social work and education. The Red Swastika Society, for example, performed many of the functions of the Red Cross in China during World War II. Most of the Daoist groups practise three forms of service to society: education, medical and relief work in the form of charity. Many dao tangs maintain a school for poor children and a clinic for those who cannot afford medical fees and drugs. The Xian Tian Dao was one of the earliest groups that organized homes for old people. This is a natural development, because the Xian Tian Dao has women ’s groups for Amahs. The Amahs are usually not married and have no children. When they retire, they come to live in the dao tangs. Many of the Daoist groups have homes for old people, such as the Yun Quan Xian Guan, the Qing Song Guan, and the Yuan Xuan Xue Yuan. In the early 1950 ’s and 1960 ’s, providing medical service and drugs was a major task for many of the Daoist groups. They provided free Chinese herb ­ alist services and herbal medicine. Some groups such as Xing Shan Zhen Tang, provided medical treatment by fu ji, and they also provided pills, oint ­ 140 Law Yu Fai ments and herbal tea packages made from prescriptions from/u ji. Due to the recent economic development in Hong Kong and the improvement of public medical services, free medical service and drugs by Daoist groups is declining in importance. b) Education

Many Chinese charity organizations had the tradition of running free schools for poor children. There were a lot of these schools after the war in China, and in the 1950 ’s in Hong Kong. Master Zeng ’s dao tang had a school in Kowloon in the early 1960 ’s. The school was a private school. It was closed after two or three years because the building was too old and had to be re­ built. Another school was set up in Wang Tau Horn resettlement estate. This was a roof-top school, situated on the roof of one of the resettlement buildings. The school was closed in the 1970 ’s when the government ’s educa­ tion policy changed. There were too many schools in that area and not enough school children. The schools run by the Hong Kong Daoist Associa­ tion are all subsidized by the Education Department. This means that the Hong Kong Daoist Association provides funding for the school building and equipment, the Education Department pays for operating costs. c) Relief Work

Daoist groups in Hong Kong were active in relief work, giving blankets to poor people in winter and food and clothing to refugees from China in 1962/ 63 when large numbers of refugees crossed the border due to a famine in China. Although one or two dao tangs may still be active in squatter areas in helping the homeless in the case of a typhoon or fire, in recent years relief work has been taken over by professional social welfare organizations (mostly Christian-orientated), or by the government. Amateur charity work is be ­ coming less important.

9. Immigration

In 1987, the Zhi Shan Fo Dao She in San Francisco sent their representative to Hong Kong to discuss affiliation with Master Zeng ’s dao tang in Hong Kong. The San Francisco unit may be considered a branch of it. Daoism in Hong Kong 141

With the increase in the number of immigrants to the U.S A., Canada, and Australia, more and more dao tangs will be set up in these countries. In 1979/80 the Qing Song Guan started to build their branch temple near San Francisco. A few years ago, there were rumours that Huang Da Xian was going to emigrate. It was proved later that some immigrants from Hong Kong had set up a Huang Da Xian temple in New York City. Just as when they moved to Hong Kong after 1949, so now will more Daoist groups be estab ­ lished overseas following the increase of immigrants.

10. Conclusion

The Dao tangs in Hong Kong started as small groups. Many of them have developed into large temples over the last thirty years. They have served the Hong Kong society as charitable organizations. They are involved in social work, medical services, and education. Most of these Daoist groups have worked with people of the lower or lower middle class. They organized one of the earliest homes for old people. They take care of the Amahs who have no children of relatives to rely on when they retire. They have done a lot of relief work with refugees and people living in squatter areas. They fulfilled a need during the 1950 ’s and 1960 ’s in offering free medical services and drugs. In short, the Daoist groups have played a very important role in society. In recent years, the Daoist groups in Hong Kong have had active contact with . They have donated money for repairing Daoist temples in China. The Chong Xu Guan and Jiu Tian Guan in Luo Fu Shan and the Ying Yuan Gong Temple in Guangzhou have been repaired with donations from more than eight Hong Kong Daoist groups. 12 With the trend of emigration from Hong Kong, Daoist temples have been built in North America and Australia. But emigration has not yet created too much of a problem for the Daoist groups. A more serious problem is perhaps that there are not enough young people to succeed the older generation, both in religious practice, such as in fu ji or in charitable work. In Master Zeng ’s temple, for example, I was told that their fu ji was not as good as when Master Zeng was alive. Even in charitable work, they are not professional enough. They have not been able to compete with Christian organizations which provide social welfare services in a professional way.

12 Tao Mind, The Hong Kong Taoist Association Bulletin, 1986, p. 27. 142 Law Yu Fai

Glossary

In In Characters English Meaning ba xian the Eight Immortals

Bei Di Temple temple of the god of the north chen g sinc erity

Chong Xu Guan a temple in Guangdong, South China dao hao il -$L a Dao name dao shi A Daoist monk dao tang A * a Daoist temple fen tan y A a branch altar or temple pX fu charms fuji tk #L. communication with spirits by means of the sand tray and wooden pen

Guan Di & f also known as Guan Gong, the god of war Guan Yin Temple fc-t M temple of the goddess of mercy

Hong Sheng Temple temple of the god of the & %M sea Daoism in Hong Kong 143

In Pinyin In Characters English Meaning

Hong Wan Zi Hui *-Jo f t Society of the Red Swastika

Huang Shan a mountain in An Hui Province

Huang Da Xian Ci Temple of Huang Da Xian ji shou a medium who communicates with spirits by means of the sand tray and wooden pen ji tan JL an altar where fu ji is practised

a special offering jiao m„ ceremony to gods under a special altar kan guang 4 look ing at the light, a kind of communication with spirits

Lu Zu Quan Ji collected works of Lu Dong-bin

Luo Fu Shan $. 4 a mountain in Guangdong nan wu guan daoist priest house nan wu lao daoist priest 144 Law Yu Fai

In Pinyin In Characters Eng lish Meaning

qi gong si) a system of deep breathing exercises and meditation

Qing Song Xian Guan name of a Daoist temple

Quan Zhen Jr literally meaning to get rid of illusions and to keep the origin. Also, the name of a sect of Daoism.

Qun Ying Tang the house of a group of heroes or elites ru dao TV to enter into Daoist beliefs shan xin beli evers shaoji i £ a basket made of bamboo She She Yuan -L 'S name of a Daoist group shi fu if the master

Tai Shang Lao Jun another name for Lao Zi tang & a group, originally refers only to kinship groups Tian Hou Temple A te M temple of the goddess of heaven Daoism in Hong Kong 145

In Pinyin In Characters English Meaning tu di 3 god of earth, god of the place

Xi Qiao Shan jp lP\ a mountain in Guangdong

Xian Tian Dao name of a sect, literally meaning the Dao before heaven and earth were divided xiang you qian money donated for incense and oil for lantern

Xing Gong Cao Tang ä m f name of a temple Ya Dan Jiao Ti, duck egg religion

Yi Dao Huan Yuan a medical book

Ying Yuan Gong t a temple in Guangzhou

Yuan Xuan Xue Yuan >H i -f «L name of a temple Yun Quan Xian Guan f name of a Daoist temple zan guan li &*t ceremony for putting on a f hat

Zheng Yi the correct one, name of a sect of Daoism

Zhi Da Zhi Zun X the highest and the most respectable